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So excited to have several pieces in the Winter 2018 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry! BAJ has been my favorite jewelry magazine for years, and it’s such an honor to be included with so many talented artists – it’s a dream come true every time!

So happy to be participating in another of Lori Anderson’s fabulous blog hops! This one is the Bead Hoarder’s edition, and the beautiful idea behind it is to send your partner a bead (or beads) that you’ve been hoarding – something that really is special to you, as a true act of kindness. I love that!

My partner is the very talented Pam DeBoer of Pamela’s Studio. Be sure to check out her vibrant, artistic designs on her Facebook page!

Here’s what I sent to Pam –

I bought that awesome ceramic focal bead in a great bead shop we happened upon as my husband and I were passing through Savannah, Georgia on a special vacation 6 years ago. I loved this bead because it was unlike any others I’ve ever had – it reminds me of a Calder sculpture or maybe a Picasso painting. I chose a strand of tiny faceted agates and some Czech glass to go with it.

As I was getting ready to send it off I decided to paint the box to match, just for fun!

I really hope Pam enjoyed creating with it!

Now for what she sent to me-a beautifully detailed poly clay pendant-

And some great Tibetan clay beads, lampwork rondelles and my favorites – a pair of sweet handmade ceramic birds!

I ended up making 3 pieces, and they are all very different from each other. First, I used the Tibetan beads along with some pierced sterling beads and lampwork discs from my stash for this funky pair of earrings-

Next I made a long knotted necklace for the pendant using S-lon cord and sparkly little faceted Czech glass beads-

Finally, those little handmade birds – I perched them on a rusty tin birdhouse pendant along with Czech glass flowers and beads. Perfect for Spring!

I had a great time working with these wonderful beads – thanks for hopping along with me!

Click below to visit Lori’s blog and the links to all the other blog hoppers!

Oh, I love foggy mornings! Yesterday was deliciously foggy – and my day off – so I happily headed out early before the sun had a chance to burn through. I stopped at a little fishing trail to the creek, and just a few steps in I came across these-

Wildflowers were blooming prettily along the trail, and the air smelled wonderful with that sweet, rich scent of late summer here in the Ozarks.

Another thing I enjoy about this time of year are the spider webs everywhere – on the ground, festooned from tree branches, even on sign posts along the road.

What I really love is when they’re decorated with dewdrops that look like tiny beaded necklaces!

As I got closer to the water the fog grew thicker, and I stopped at a part of the creek with lots of dead trees and strange growth close to the water that has a cool, mysterious look to it all year long. I love it, and one of these days I’m gonna see if my son can get me out there in his boat.

That’s a Great Blue Heron on that branch in the distance. So glad I caught him – right after this he took off with a rusty squawk and several flaps of his huge wings.

From here I decided to drive over to Empire Park on Lake Taneycomo. I just had to take a picture of my favorite trees – cottonwoods. I love how their leaves sparkle and rustle with the slightest of breezes!

As I walked along the lake I saw ducks paddling in the water, and was surprised to see another heron standing motionless by the shore-

I participated in a Re-purposed Market craft show at a local antique mall over the weekend, which was fun but attendance was pretty sparse. It was held at a very nice indoor venue and featured demonstrations by FYI guy Jeremy Rabe (who is very charming and gracious!) but the weather was a glorious 80 degrees all weekend, so I guess the lake got more visitors than we did. You just never know! Anyway, the good thing is that preparing for this show rekindled my love for making found object jewelry and sparked my creativity in a way that hasn’t happened in a while.

One of the first things I found to play with was the head of a tiny old hammer-

With the addition of wire, beads, a piece of an old folding ruler and some nuts borrowed from my husband’s tool box it’s now a pendant! I call this one “Handyman Special” 🙂

When I saw this fabulous Victorian drawer pull I couldn’t resist – I just love the sweet little bird on the front.

I carefully bent it and added a verdigris patina, brass chain and some gorgeous Czech glass beads for a one of a kind bracelet-

Next up, some sweet little vintage perfume bottles I found at a flea market-

I had SO much fun making these!

Here’s an everyday garden item-

With a new look!

So maybe this show wasn’t a big moneymaker for me, but that’s OK – the creative juices are flowing, and that’s a good thing!

Or birds on the brain, anyway -so many of the things I’ve made lately feature our feathered friends. One of the main sources of inspiration has come from my own yard – last year we had bluebirds nesting in one of our birdhouses, and I’m so happy to see they’ve come back!

Bluebirds are especially fun to paint, too!

I’ve also enjoyed using these brass beauties from B’Sue Boutiques-

Of course I had to paint and/or add some rusty patina to all of ’em!

This vintage beauty was a recent Etsy find, and I couldn’t wait to pair it with some of the other goodies in my stash, like the old rhinestone ring and mother of pearl heart and discs-

There are still plenty more birds – and other winged creatures – waiting on my workbench, so we’ll what flies out next! 🙂